Mystery story ideas often follow a similar pattern. Early on, a dead body turns up, a valuable item goes missing, or a puzzle begs to be solved. The reader knows that by the end of the book, questions will have been answered, which is a comforting element in even the most gruesome murder mysteries. This simple structure allows for

Most of us believe in the value of venting. “I just need to get it off my chest,” we say, or “I just need to blow off some steam.” By complaining, we believe that we won’t carry the negativity inside of us any more, because we let it out. It makes so much sense! Except that it doesn’t always work

Hi, everyone! This is the last in a 7-part series about how to rewrite, revise, and edit a novel. I love editing a book, but many people find it overwhelming. However you approach it, the key is to break it down step by step. We’ve talked about clarifying your character arcs, fixing your pacing, increasing your story’s impact, fine-tuning speech and

“He was sent to kill her… Now, he’s desperate to protect her.”     My newsletter subscribers already know this, but I’m so excited that the ebook version of The Phoenix Codex is up for pre-order! This is the first in a new paranormal romance/urban fantasy series about a centuries-old secret society that battles supernatural evil. You can order it

Hey there! So far, this series has focused on shaping up your story and then getting it into the hands of beta readers. Once you’ve read over your beta reader feedback, and you’ve made any other changes to your book that you think will improve the story, it’s time to focus on your prose style. A “dialogue tag” is any